NBC to Conan O'Brien -- The Choice Is Yours

NBC to Conan O'Brien -- The Choice Is Yours

Posted Jan 8th 2010

NBC has given Conan O'Brien the option to either do his show from midnight to 1 or leave the network, sources tell TMZ.


As TMZ first reported, after the Olympics, Jay Leno will get his 11:30 PM time period back. We're told network execs have told Conan they will let him decide if he wants the midnight to 1:00 AM time slot. If he does, Leno's show will only be a half hour. If Conan walks, Leno will get a full hour, informed sources tell TMZ.

Our sources say Conan has not decided what he wants. We do know he's pissed, because he was given no advanced warning this was coming. Conan's people told NBC they are considering the offer. Translation: Mr. O'Brien -- I have Rupert Murdoch on line one, Stephen McPherson on line two, John Landgraf on line three, Jeff Wachtel on line four ...

We're told if Conan gets another offer, even though NBC could block the move, they will let him go and give Leno the full hour.

Network weenies. . .sheeesh.

I wish Leno had never left the Tonight Show in the first place.

I fully support Conan because he has a sack of nuts, unlike Jay Leno. I know his ratings are worse than Leno's I guess and just doesnt fit in... BECAUSE HE HAS BALLS. Leno's jokes are weak and predictable, he's the safe choice. Oh well.

I know Conan will either take HUGE money, or go somewhere else and be accepted big time.

I never have cared for Conan. Maybe I'm just old but his "humor" just isn't funny to me. As a talk show host, Leno blows Conan away. I didn't know if Jay would do well being on earlier, but I was pretty sure Conan would flop.....which he has.

I'm a Letterman guy myself, but you could see the writing on the wall after the second or third episode of Leno's prime time offering, which I thought sucked. I have never been a Conan fan, but appreciate his unique humor. It sucks for Conan that since Leno's prime time show has tanked that he has to give up his current time slot.

I liked Conan when Andy Richter was his sidekick on the Late Show. I have not seen the Tonight Show since Conan took over but I would watch him anyday over Leno.

Is Leno pulling a Brett Favre?

i hate leno, always have. I've always like Conan's show. I think he's getting assfucked by NBC on this. Hopefully Conan will be able to move to another network. I think FOX would be a goodchoice and maybe they would be more willing to let him do some of that old, more racey type conan humor

I'm with you, Bubba. Conehead just isn't funny to me. I'll grant you that he is obnoxious, but funny....No.
MM

Leno is NOT funny. Just don't get his appeal. Letterman is the way to go.

It's bullshit what they're doing to Conan. I know some of you don't get his humor, but he is waaaay funnier than Leno.

Although they sanitized somewhat when he changed timeslots.

Conan sucks big time. Jay is "The Man".

I find both funny, and I can see where the problem is.

The Tonight Show crowd is an older demographic, this is not where Conan shines. He does his best work with a younger crowd. That is why he's had ratings issues.

Leno works for the older crowd, but people have been trained for almost a generation to want scripted dramas at 9pm so his show has issues. Leading to weak lead in crowds for local newscasts, which are where most local stations make most of their money.

IIRC, the original reason for the move was that Conan had a clause in his contract that said if he wasn't the host of the tonight show in X years then they'd owe him money.